Foods That Can Kill a Dog

Grapes, Raisins, Prunes and Plums

• Fruits in this group can be lethal to your dog. Raisins are especially potent because they are so concentrated. Eating even small amounts can cause acute renal failure. Symptoms of poisoning include abdominal pain, diarrhea and lethargy.

Chocolate

• Eating chocolate has long been known to be hazardous to a dog's health. Dogs love the sweet taste and can't resist. They will often find these tempting treats while checking out an open purse or during their countertop surfing. Chocolate contains theobromine, a chemical that can cause increased and abnormal heart rate, vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, hyperactivity, increased thirst and urination, tremors, and ultimately death. Dark chocolate, cocoa, semi-sweet and baking chocolate are the most dangerous to your dog. Many pet owners assume that their dog is okay after eating chocolate because there are no immediate symptoms. It can take up to 24 hours for a reaction to occur, with death following within 24 hours.

Coffee and Tea

• Coffee and tea, with their high levels of caffeine, produce some of the same symptoms as chocolate. Reactions include diarrhea, vomiting, seizures, tremors, increased and irregular heart rate, fever, coma, and death.

Onions, Chives and Garlic

• Foods in this group contain a chemical that can irritate the dog's gastrointestinal tract and possibly damage red blood cells. Breathlessness occurs as a result of the damage to the red blood cells, which carry oxygen through the body. The reactions usually occur several days after the onion is eaten. Onions in all forms are dangerous, including dried, raw, cooked and dehydrated. Avoid giving your dogs any leftovers that may have onions as an ingredient. Onion poisoning can happen as the result of a single large ingestion or smaller amounts eaten over a period of time. Garlic has the same harmful chemical as the onion but to a lesser extent. Chives, a part of the onion family, often provide a tempting danger when your dog finds them growing in the garden.

Macadamia Nuts

• Macadamia nuts contain persin, an ingredient that can cause vomiting, diarrhea, depression, tremors and hyperthermia in dogs.

Mushrooms

• Mushrooms growing in the wild can be hazardous to your dog. While not all wild mushrooms are harmful, it is often difficult to determine which are safe. Toxic mushrooms are known to cause a multitude of potentially deadly problems in dogs, including vomiting, diarrhea, kidney and liver damage, and convulsions.

Baby Food

• A seemingly harmless food, people often feed their dogs baby food when the dog is sick, as an enticement to get some nourishment into them. This can be a deadly mistake. Baby food can contain onions, which, when combined with the ill dog's already compromised immune system, can lead to death.

Yeast Dough

• Yeast doughs can cause a buildup of gas in your dog's gastrointestinal tract, allowing the stomach and intestines to expand and possibly burst.

Alcohol

• Alcoholic beverages or foods that contain alcohol as an ingredient should not be fed to your dog. They can cause difficult breathing, tremors, damage to the central nervous system, vomiting, diarrhea and coma.

Sugar-Free Gum

• Sugar-free gums contain the artificial sweetener xylitol. Even small amounts of this can cause liver failure and death. According to Dr. Eric Dunayer, veterinarian and toxicologist for the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, ingesting items sweetened with xylitol could produce a fairly sudden drop in blood sugar, leading to an emergency situation. Depression, loss of coordination and seizures may result. Seek medical attention immediately.

Cooked Bones

• Dogs love bones. Raw bones are relatively safe but cooked bones can fracture, potentially causing intestinal blockages or perforations.